A young Ukrainian child, now a refugee in the UK, was surprised with a letter and present from a 'random friend stranger'.

Sviatoslav travelled across Europe with his mum, Maria, and sis Sofia, viii, earlier beingness reunited with his aunt, who has lived in the Britain for ten years.

Donations handed to Sandbach Town Hall, Cheshire, were dropped off on the evening of March 10, and one donation was a special souvenir for young Sviatoslav, accompanied by a note.

Sviatoslav, who began learning English in school two years ago, can be seen reading the note from another kid in footage captured of the touching moment, Cheshire Alive writes.

He states: "'I hope you are doing okay. Here are some of my spare clothes. If you need them or not, they could exist adept for at present.'

The letter-writer signs off: 'From random friend stranger'.

Along with the wearing apparel, Sviatoslav was gifted a Star Wars lego toy, which he promptly built. "Thank y'all then much," he says at the cease of the video.

Sviatoslav had to leave his father behind in Ukraine, before crossing Europe with his female parent and sister in their car.

Maria, Sviatoslav'due south mother, intended to join her sis, Olesja Petriv, who has lived in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland for ten years. They were initially denied entry to the UK and were stuck in Calais before appealing to French newspapers.

On Wednesday dark, relatives went to collect them from France.

Donations for the family were collected throughout the day at Sandbach Market Hall.

Donations from Sandbach Market Hall arrive with Maria and her two children, Sviatoslav aged ten and Sofia aged eight

Donations from Sandbach Market Hall go far with Maria and her ii children, Sviatoslav anile 10 and Sofia aged 8

Hannah Cotton launched the entreatment for donations, and last nighttime delivered them to the family.

She said: "Because of what happened overnight, they're thinking that they're going to take to go dorsum over and try to become her married man's begetter out. It's crunch, it really is crunch.

"It was lovely. I was a bit nervous that I'd go over-emotional. Olesja, the sister, is in battle manner, she is a warrior. Maria, who doesn't she looked crush-shocked.

"They were very welcoming and very grateful. Despite the language barriers, both the children and mum were there and wanting to show us that this wasn't just a 'drop-and-run' and that they really cared.

"The ten-year-old Sviatoslav started learning English a couple of years ago, so he was picking up on some of it, and the daughter, the eight-year-old, she just started learning in September, and then we were having a little bit of chat."

She added: "When we saw that note, the auntie said: 'Why don't you read information technology, y'all can read English language at present', and he Sviatoslav was really proud - 'Ooo yes I'll read this letter'. You merely think 'what incredible spirit they've got'."

In an interview with BBC Radio Stoke on March xi, Olesja Petriv described her sis Maria's journeying.

She said: "It was hard... from the begininng when the Ukraine was attacked we were worrying nigh my sister and her kids. She started packing stuff the next day after the war started, and so she went to the edge. This was a really long journeying, I think 48 hours they were going through the border.

Donations from Sandbach Market Hall arrive with Maria and her two children, Sviatoslav aged ten and Sofia aged eight

Donations from Sandbach Market Hall arrive with Maria and her ii children, Sviatoslav aged ten and Sofia aged eight

"We started our journey the aforementioned mean solar day she was starting. We went to Lyon, France, to pick them. We met, nosotros directly abroad went to the border, just we weren't allowed to bring them to the Britain considering by that time a sister didn't authorize as a family member and she wasn't allowed to become a visa on the border."

She connected: "We were trying and so fast to bring the kids home. At age eight and 10 and you don't properly understand what'due south going on."

"I have a spare room, a place for my family to stay, so why should they accept to stay in France ... when they can come up to our abode. For me it was really disappointing and I couldn't believe that they could do this.

"On the next solar day they changed the visa regulation for extended family members. I found a family in France who, they were volunteering and would open their doors for our family, so I brought them to Paris and they stayed in that location for vi days before the visa was issued."

Olesja Petriv has organised a fundraiser, with the gain going to help refugees fleeing Ukraine and those trapped at that place. Vans of supplies, including medical items and pet food are also to exist funded past the appeal. The fundraising page tin exist found here.

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